This document explores Place Types based on 2010 (V2) and 2018 (V3) Smart Location Database.

Place Type Definition

We use the Place Type definition used in VEState:

There are three dimensions to the place type system. Location type identifies whether the SimBzone is located in an urbanized area (Urban), a smaller urban-type area (Town), or a non-urban area (Rural). Area types identify the relative urban nature of the SimBzone: center, inner, outer, fringe. Development types identify the character of development in the SimBzone: residential (res), employment (emp), mix.

Area types are designated based on a combination of activity density and destination accessibility levels. Each is split into 4 levels. Area type is determined by 16 combinations of those levels. Following are the activity density level definitions:

  • Very Low (VL): 0 to 0.5 households and jobs per acre
  • Low (L): Greater than 0.5 to 5 households and jobs per acre
  • Moderate (M): Greater than 5 to 10 households and jobs per acrea
  • High (H): Greater than 10 households and jobs per acre

Following are the destination accessibility level definitions:

  • Very Low (VL): 0 to 2,000 units
  • Low (L): Greater than 2,000 units to 10,000 units
  • Moderate (M): Greater than 10,000 units to 50,000 units
  • High (H): Greater than 50,000 units

The following table classifies area types by activity density levels and destination accessibility levels. Rows in the table represent activity density levels and columns represent destination accessibility levels.

Very Low Low Moderate High
Very Low fringe fringe outer outer
Low fringe outer outer inner
Moderate outer outer inner inner
High outer inner center center

Development type is determined by collapsing the mix levels from 5 to 3 as follow:

Development Type Mix Levels
mix mixed
res primarily-hh & largely-hh
emp primarily-job & largely-job

% bg by Place Type in 2010 (V2) and 2018(V3)

Across the entire US

In Oregon

Transition in Place Types between 2010 and 2018

Joining SLD V2 and SLD V3 by their GEOID, we can summarize the transition in place type between 2010 and 2018.

Place Type Transition across the U.S.

Place Type Transition in Oregon